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Thai Buddhist temple in Berkeley, California, US From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wat Mongkolratanaram (Thai: วัดมงคลรัตนาราม) is a small Thai Buddhist temple located in Berkeley, California. A wat, it mainly attracts Thai American Buddhists, many of whom are students at the University of California, Berkeley, but it also draws in many local, non-Buddhists who come searching for the authentic Thai food public brunch on Sundays[1] or attend its frequent cultural events. The temple is home to a Thai school for San Francisco Bay Area youth, as well as Berkeley's Thai Cultural Center.[2]
| Wat Mongkolratanaram | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Location | |
| Location | 1911 Russell St, Berkeley, California |
| Country | United States |
  Shown within California | |
| Geographic coordinates | 37°51′22.69″N 122°16′14.46″W |
In 2001, it marked 25 years of being a temple by completing renovations to its Victorian-era building to adapt the architecture to temple style.[3]
In February 2009, a group of neighbors sought to shut down the Sunday public brunch, citing litter and traffic.[4] The Zoning Adjustments Board of Berkeley voted 8 to 1 to keep the Sunday brunch, and the board chair "praised the temple for being a positive influence" in the neighborhood.[5] The brunch runs on donations; visitors pay for tokens and exchange them for dishes.[6]
The Thai-born Ajahn Manat is the current abbot of Wat Mongkolratanaram.
In 1997, the temple was home to the East Bay chapter of the Cypherpunks.[7]
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